The Rise Of PCC

The Pistol Caliber Carbine or PCC has been around for a very
long time. Probably the most popular
which was
is the Heckler and Koch MP5 highlighted in video games like call of
duty and battlefield and made popular by Police SWAT Units and military special
forces in the 90’s. Fast forward to
2016/2017 and there has been a huge resurgence in the Firearms Industry around
PCC’s. The explosion of PCC’s onto the
competition world has seen strong adoption by
United Practical Shooting
Association
(USPSA) in the creation of a PCC division. Embattled 3Gun organization 3Gun Nation
adopted a PCC division as well that allowed the PCC to be used in lieu of a
standard
.223 carbine. The new United
Multigun League or UML has 2 divisions that support PCC to their 2x4 division
and a PCC only division
.
So why has the PCC taken off? There are several answers. The first that comes to mind is variety. The surge of people getting into 3gun, there
are always people who want to try something new. Secondly, many people purchased a PCC for the
intentions of training. After all, the
price per round for a 9mm round versus a
.223 round isn’t small, especially at
the volumes used in training. The third
reason which is probably the most compelling is that they are just plain fun to
shoot. Utilizing a PCC in a USPSA match, for
example is positively thrilling. The
skill required to run a PCC is less than a pistol and therefore provides newer
shooters with a feeling of more success
at a match. It also allows new shooters to focus a little
more on the rules and movement of a stage without the difficulty of running a
harder to shoot pistol. For higher end
shooters, it is one more challenging platform to excel and master and another
Master or Grand Master title to add to their USPSA card.
If you are interested in getting into a PCC there are a few
options or basic platform decisions to choose from. The AR9 which could be described as a baby
brother to the larger AR15 is the most prevalent choice today. The system runs off of an AR15 style lower
typically built to receive Glock or Colt style mags. The system operates off of Blowback versus
gas impingement so much work is being done by companies like
Taccom, MPX and JP
to reduce the felt recoil impulse. The
second most prolific choice is the Sig MPX. The
Sig is regarded as the softest
shooting option but comes with a hefty price tag. There are several other options available from
H&K, CZ and Keltec worth exploring if you want to consider running
something slightly different.

Lastly, there is the discussion of ammo. 9mm is the most popular caliber as the prices
are relatively low and there is no advantage to running a major power factor in
any of the competition divisions. The
most popular projectile weights are 124gn and 147gn right at minor power
factor. A well developed and reliable
load is key to success much like the ammo expectations for a competition
pistol.